Nuts & Bolts:  Useful Facts and Links

The Monmouth College Advising File

Application for Degree

Declaration of Major Form

Dropping/Adding a Course

All changes in registration require the permission of the student’s advisor. After the first week of the semester the advisor’s signature is required for any course change and a fee is charged for each registration change. No student may add a course after the first week of classes. A course cannot be dropped after the ninth week without the written permission of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.  Add/Drop permission slips are available in the Registrar's Office.

GPA Calculation at Monmouth College

For the purpose of computing a student’s average, A = 4, A- = 3.667, B+ = 3.333, B = 3, B- = 2.667, C+ = 2.333, C = 2, C- = 1.667, D+ = 1.333, D = 1, D- = 0.667, and F = 0. The average is determined by dividing the number of points earned during the semester by the number of graded credits carried. The cumulative grade-point average is the total of all grade points earned divided by the total number of graded credits taken. Only courses taken at Monmouth College for which final letter grades have been recorded are included in the grade-point average. Courses transferred from other institutions and courses taken after graduation are not included in the cumulative grade point average.

The Fifty-Hour Rule

No more than forty semester hours may be required in a discipline; students may take additional courses in the discipline as electives, but they may count no more than 50 hours in a single discipline toward the 124 required for a degree. In addition, students may count no more than 62 hours in a single department.

Financial Aid and Satisfactory Progress

Satisfactory academic standing is required in order for a student to maintain eligibility for financial assistance. At the end of each semester, after final grades have been issued, the Director of Financial Aid will verify the academic standing of each student.

Once a student has reached the point in time when they have registered for their 60th credit hour, both qualitative and quantitative standards must be met and measured each semester. “Registered Semester Hours” include all transfer hours and all hours for which a student has officially enrolled (excluding audit classes) at Monmouth College. Official enrollment is defined as the hours for which a student is registered at the end of the period for adding a course.

Qualitative Standard
Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00. A student will immediately lose eligibility for all Federal and State financial assistance if the student’s cumulative GPA falls below 2.00. No advance warning of pending loss of financial assistance can be given.

Quantitative Standard
Students must also be making incremental progress (consistently earning credits) toward a degree. According to Federal requirements a student may take up to 150% of the time needed to achieve and obtain a degree. For example, a student may take up to six years to obtain a four year bachelor’s degree and still remain eligible to receive financial assistance. If however, the student is not making incremental progress toward the degree, a loss of eligibility for Federal and State financial assistance will occur. No advance warning of pending loss of financial assistance can be given.

In any semester where a student has lost eligibility of financial assistance, the student may appeal to the Director of Financial Aid for the reinstatement of eligibility. The student must show that their cumulative GPA fell to less than 2.00 or they failed to make incremental progress toward a degree during the semester as the result of:

1) the death of an immediate relative of the student, 2) a severe injury to the student, or
3) a severe illness of the student, that interrupted their ability to perform academically.

If an appeal is granted and the financial aid eligibility is restored, the student will be placed on financial aid probation and will be eligible to receive financial assistance for one semester. If, at the end of the semester on financial aid probation, a student does not:

1) establish a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 or

2) make incremental progress toward the degree, no further aid eligibility can be allowed.

Foreign Language Placement Exams

Given during the summer SOAR sessions and during Orientation Week in the fall, these exams are mandatory for students wishing to pursue a foreign language at Monmouth College.

Incompletes and In Progress

THE I (INCOMPLETE) may be given when a situation arises that is beyond the student’s control and which precludes completion of required work or if the instructor needs further time for evaluation. For an incomplete grade received during the fall semester or summer session, the student will ordinarily complete the work by the end of the second week of the following semester.

For an incomplete grade received during the spring semester, the student will ordinarily have a period of three weeks, commencing immediately after the last College examination day, to complete the required work.

If the work is not completed at the end of the designated time, the Registrar will consult with the instructor as to the disposition of the grade (normally conversion to an “F” grade). It is generally the responsibility of the student to take the initiative in requesting the incomplete grade and in making arrangements with the instructor for its removal.

THE IP (IN PROGRESS) is appropriate for those courses in which the work may not normally be completed in one semester (individualized study, research, etc.). However, it is expected that the work will be completed in the subsequent semester.

If, at the end of the semester subsequent to the one in which the work began, the course requirements are not completed, the Registrar will consult with the instructor as to the disposition of the grade (normally conversion to an “F” grade).

Independent Studies

These are courses are arranged between students and instructors on a individualized basis.  The Registrar has a standardized form for these contracts:  Independent Study Agreement

Internet Course Credit Transfer (see Receiving Credit Over the Summer)

The Mellinger Learning Center

Off-Campus Programs

Overload (Taking More than 18 Semester Hours)

A student may register for an overload of 19 or 20 semester hours upon approval of the advisor. A student wishing to register for more than 20 semester hours must have the approval of the Admissions and Academic Status Committee. Enrollment over 18 semester hours is charged as extra tuition at the per-semester hour rate.

A student in the first semester of residence or on probation must also have the approval of the Admissions and Academic Status Committee of the faculty.

Receiving Credit Over the Summer

For students enrolled at Monmouth College, the written approval of the Registrar, the advisor, and in some cases the department chair is required in advance if courses are to be taken at another institution for transfer credit. A Transfer Work Request form is available in the Registrar’s Office and must be completed, signed, and submitted prior to enrolling in a course at another institution. A letter grade of C- or better is required for pre-approved coursework to be transferred.

                 Request to Take Coursework Off-Campus

Because we value a classroom-centered learning environment that involves direct engagement between the instructor and students, faculty feedback, and proctored exams, the College will accept no more than six hours of Internet, video, or correspondence coursework for transfer credit after Matriculation. Only coursework taken in a classroom setting can apply to the General Education Requirements.

No more than 31 transfer credits will be allowed after matriculation. After reaching senior status with 90 earned credit hours, at least 27 semester hours of a student’s remaining coursework must be earned at Monmouth College. (Refer to “Senior Residency Requirement” under “Requirements for the Degree” on page 15.) No student will be allowed to exceed 62 total transfer credits. The transfer of credits is not complete until the Registrar receives an official transcript from the institution at which the work was taken.

Work that is being transferred is not considered in determining a student’s academic status until the transcript is received and approved, and the credits are posted to the student’s Monmouth College transcript.

Registrar's Forms

Repeating a Course

Repeating a course replaces both the grade and any credit previously earned for the course. Both the earlier grade and the later grade continue to be listed on the transcript, but only the most recent grade is factored into the cumulative grade point average. Repeating a course may or may not improve a student’s academic situation and could have financial aid implications. A student considering repeating a course should consult an advisor, the Registrar, and Director of Financial Aid.

Request to Take Coursework Off-Campus

Senior Residency Requirement

The senior residency requirement stipulates that after attaining senior status (90 semester hours), at least 27 semester hours of the remaining credits required for the degree must be granted by the College.

Topical Major

The topical major provides a unique opportunity for the student who wants to pursue in depth an interest area that bridges the subject area of several departments. The student’s advisor plays an important role in helping to plan a topical major. The topical major consists of at least 36 semester hours, 18 of them at the 300 or 400 level. One of these courses must be designated as the culminating experience. The Admissions and Academic Status Committee must approve the proposed set of courses and formally appoint the advisor who will guide the student. Requests for approval of a topical major must be filed at least three semesters before the student’s graduation.

Application for Topical Major

Tutoring (see The Mellinger Learning Center)